Three, two, one
by Chyrstis
Summary: It's a new year, so they might as well find a way to start it off right. -Post-SRIV-


Kakumei over at Tumblr got me thinking about how these three would handle New Year's, so I figured I'd get a short drabble down and call it a day. They apparently had something else in mind. Many thanks to Autumnyte for reading this over for me!

* * *

_I told you so._

That was going to be the first thing out of Johnny's mouth the moment he caught up with her. And with every nod and stiff smile V flashed, she knew he had a point, and there wasn't enough champagne in the world to erase that fact.

New Year's wasn't a holiday to fuck with, and what had she done? Fucked with it. Not that much, but with their usual party plans thrown out in favor of a fancier affair, she wasn't sure if the chance to play at being fancy was worth the hassle.

The higher-ups she and the others worked to impress – okay, that Pierce worked to impress – were scattered all throughout the HQ. All of them she recognized from years spent dodging their inquiries while also struggling to keep from snoring during board meetings, and tonight she found it tough not to fall into the same habits.

Even with Pierce there to give her a tap on the shoulder when her eyes glazed over, it wasn't easy, and latching onto the other Saints wandering around seemed to be the only cure. Linking arms with each one, V made sure to flit off before wearing out her welcome, and it turned into a guessing game of who went where.

Shaundi was the first one for her to locate, surrounded by fans and businesspeople alike. Linking an arm with hers, Shaundi gave her a wry look, and tugged her around for a good thirty minutes until V's sixth request to dance got her passed straight to Asha. V didn't even make it to three requests before Asha guided her towards Oleg, who simply offered her his hand. By the time her feet started to ache on the dance floor, she'd found Ben, and after talking him into a few revolutions, she finally called it quits.

That left her thirsty, and in her quest for as much champagne as she could handle, she almost bumped into Matt – typing furiously away at his planner – and Pierce. Her greeting died in her throat once she caught the edge of the heated debate they were in, and once the name Birk entered the conversation she quickly exited stage left.

As for Kinzie, she wasn't even there. During the last call V had made to her, Kinzie stated she was in an undisclosed location carefully monitoring the entire thing, and warned V about the napkin stuck to her heel before dropping the call. Glancing down in horror, she hurriedly removed it, and tried not to think about the number of people that might've seen her with it already.

That left two others unaccounted for. Two that made her tongue want to tie itself into knots just by looking at them. Johnny had moved in and out of reach of her all night, but Troy had been almost impossible to snag. If it wasn't his superiors cornering him, it was his subordinates, and she spent close to an hour watching him exchange pleasantries with them until he was able to break away.

One lucky pass close to an empty hall did get her a kiss, however; one that left her breathing hard while she wiped away any traces of her lipstick on his mouth and neck. The extra kisses he kept on sneaking ruined most of her work, but at least she was mindful of his collar. One mark there, and she would've had to drag him off, and see what other parts of him needed marking. But they split up soon after, nearly bumping into Gryphon of all people as they tried to hightail it out of there.

Johnny, on the other hand, kept on following his own route. She'd see him one minute only to lose him the next, and couldn't keep a proper bead on him as the evening rolled towards midnight.

She was leaning against a wall about to doze off, when her luck changed, however. Her eyelids drooped low, and she jolted back to the present when Gat snapped his fingers in front of her nose. His tie was loose around his neck, and the first button of his shirt was flicked open – two details that were far from the neat picture she recalled from earlier - and the amused tilt to his mouth only grew as she tried to stifle a yawn.

"Having fun, boss?"

"Bite me," she muttered, taking a sip from her glass. How it managed to stay in her hand while she was dozing off, she'd never know. "I'm just waiting for someone to ring the gong so we can get these people out of here. Then I won't have to worry about flinging my shoes off before jumping into the pool."

"And they're stopping you now?" He rested his shoulder against the wall by her, and made a face. "Fuck 'em. Thing's been dragging all night, anyway."

Leaning towards him, she caught a hint of his cologne, and tried like hell to bury the urge to pull him closer. "Don't tempt me. I know at least three people that could stand to take a dive." The expectant way he kept looking at her told her all she needed to do was say the word, and she gave him a small grin. "Hey, don't look so eager now."

"One push. Don't need more than that. Then we can stop pretending we're into this." Another set of full champagne glasses materialized by her elbow, but the moment she reached for one, she was intercepted. Johnny downed it like a shot, and placed the glass right back on the server's tray. "Anyway, least they keep this coming. You done?"

"Done what? Schmoozing? Bored already?" He stayed silent as she took the other offered glass, and slowly drank from it, keeping eye contact the entire time. "Desperate?"

"By looking for you?" The waiter slinked off and Johnny's tone went low. "Desperate's going for Troy first."

"And how's he doing, by the way? Still looking like he's ready to burn through an entire pack?" She waggled her brows, and the face Johnny made told her all she needed to know. "They were on him pretty bad for a while. I'm surprised you were even able to reach him."

"I caught him outside. Said that they were waiting for him to come back in."

"And...?"

"Troy had been there already for ten minutes fucking around with the things. Was halfway through a cigarette and about to light up another when I told him to fork one over. I made a suggestion after, but he couldn't stay much longer. Figured someone was going to come looking, and didn't want to be moaning my name when they did."

"Yeah, that would've had more than a few tongues wagging," V said, chewing on the corner of her lip. The little smile on Johnny's face grew, and she quickly glanced away. "You know what I mean."

"So, I fucked off, and figured you'd be up for it. Fucking around, cutting out, whatever."

"You know it never really ends, right? The chatting and merry-making?"

"Yeah, but are you?"

"Done and done?"

That's when she caught the bottle of champagne in his hand. He'd taken it right off of the tray, and she didn't blame the server for letting him snatch it. The corners of his mouth went up as she considered him, and she glanced around to make sure no one was looking at them.

Once it was clear, she stood on her toes and hissed in his ear, "To the point where I'm almost obligated to ask what took you so long?"

"Inside or outside?"

"Inside."

"Upstairs or down?"

"Johnny." She placed a finger on the side of his chin and angled his head towards her. "I'm game. Just lead the way."

Johnny held her stare for a minute, and took off right after that. Moving with a purpose, she stayed with him as they cut past anyone and everyone, and didn't stop for anything as they took the nearest staircase to the upper floor.

The room he made a beeline for wasn't in a crowded spot, and he didn't check it before heading inside. V waited, scanning the hall they were in one last time for anyone. There really wasn't much reason for her to sneak like she was, but with the atmosphere and their dress, it felt like something out of a spy movie. She needed to be sure, if only on principle, and once she was she made her way in.

Leaning against the door until it closed with a quiet click, she shrugged when she caught Johnny's glance. He was already on the opposite side, with the bottle open and halfway to his lips. "The hell, man?

"What? It's popped. Unless you want to pantomime re-popping it, I'm fucking drinking it."

"Without me? Rude." Striding over, she snatched the bottle out of his hands and didn't wait for his signal to take a swig of it. "Just because I wanted to make sure we had some privacy. Please."

"You lock the door?"

The bottle bobbed in her hand. "Uh, no."

"Not that fucking private then," he said, giving her another look. "But I can work with that."

She snorted, and sat down on the small couch, glad that the room Gat picked had low lights and comfy seats. Crossing her legs in front of her, she took another long drink as he joined her, and jerked the bottle away when he reached for it.

"Yo, you wanna slow down a bit? This ain't a race." Johnny stole the bottle back, and leaned in after setting it down, catching any stray drops of champagne left on her lips with his tongue. "Save some for me."

She grabbed the collar of his shirt, and her grip went tight as his mouth moved against hers. The firm press left her gasping, but in time, it eased. Became unhurried, unrushed, as she slid her tongue over and between his lips. It wasn't quite a moan, but the sound that came out of him made her fingers twitch, and one of her hands skated over his cheek to behind his neck. Closing her eyes, she guided him further into her space with a tug, leaving him leaning over her as he pressed her into the cushions.

Gat's fingers brushed against her jaw, and a sigh slipped out when they drifted lower, following the line of her neck. "You calling me a lush?"

"Lush?" His eyes might've been hidden by the mirrored lenses in front of her, but she could feel his gaze moving over her. Inch by inch as he tilted his head, and wet his lips. "That's one way to sum it up."

Her face went red in an instant. "There's another?" Johnny's mouth went to her ear, and the moment she picked out what his rumbling tone implied, she gently pushed at his chest. "_Jesus._ You want me to stay this shade all night, don't you?"

"Red hair, red dress, red face? Why not go for the full set?"

V pursed her lips. "You're a jerk. Just in case you were starting to forget."

His smirk grew, but the warmth that came with it made her want to duck her head. "Haven't yet."

"...Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. Because I also need the reminder."

The door on the other end of the room slid open, letting the low bass that had crept through the walls in. The music wasn't half as loud as it had been earlier, but it didn't take much to break the little bubble they'd built in that space. Johnny set himself down as V's eyebrows went up, but the moment she noticed the suit, and the exasperation written all over the face of the man stepping in, she lit up.

"There you are," Troy said, closing it behind him. "Thought you two might've made a break for it."

There wasn't a cigarette in Troy's hand at the moment, but parties like this – and the people - always made him itch for one. There was no telling how many he'd snuck outside earlier with Gat, and if she was being truthful she was half-tempted to ask him to light her one right now.

He took a moment to adjust his tie, and when her thoughts went straight to the way she almost yanked it off of him earlier that night, she cleared her throat. "And left you behind, Chief? We wouldn't be that cruel. I mean, my hands shouldn't go anywhere near a steering wheel for at least six more hours, and Johnny's questionable at-"

"My hands are fucking steady," Gat said, cutting in, "so don't even try-"

"Questionable at best, so...I think your presence would be damn near essential."

Troy fixed them both with a wry look. "Essential, huh?"

"Essential. Exactly what it says on the tin." V canted her head towards him, and swirled what was left of the champagne in her glass before downing it. "But now that we're on the topic, do you know what I hate about these bashes?"

His hand drifted towards his pocket, but stopped in favor of rubbing his fingers together instead. "That they're on Ultor's ticket?"

"Yep. But do you know what I also love about these bashes?" she asked.

Johnny took her hand and angled her glass so he could refill it. "That they're on Ultor's ticket?"

She grinned. "Hell yes. Oh, and that I can actually drag you both in here without it looking weird. It's a fucking trial sometimes getting you both into the HQ, but on nights like this? We're all mingling here. Corporate, Saint, lawman. It's perfectly natural." She waved Troy over to where they were sitting, and gestured towards the empty spot on the couch. "Plenty of room for one more."

Johnny held the champagne bottle out to Troy, and he shook his head. "So, this is what you're doing? Mingling?"

"Kind of. I got most of it out of the way earlier, but wanted a break. Just some extra time to enjoy the thumping bass without it being so...present." Taking a long sip from her glass, she nearly drained it, and set it down on the coffee table in front of her. "I know it's New Year's, but some years I wouldn't mind doing something a bit more laid back."

Troy let his eyes travel over her, lingering on the skin exposed by the high slit of her dress, before moving further up the deep red material. "Just the three of us?"

"Yeah. Just the three of us," she replied, twirling a loose strand of her hair around her finger. "Wouldn't have to worry as much about sneaking around, but I'll be honest. I kinda like this. And if it means I get to see you both dressed up and fancy, I can deal with some schmoozing."

A well-tailored suit was a thing of beauty on its own, but she'd never lost the feeling that came over her whenever she caught them in one. That short moment when her knees went weak, before regaining her senses. It sent a shiver through her, and when Johnny ran the backs of his fingers down her bare arm, it was hard not to shiver again.

"But maybe it's best that I have you two all to myself right now," she said, reaching for Gat's tie. She smoothed the silk down against his chest, savoring the texture before wrapping her fingers around it. "It'll cut down on the awkwardness once midnight hits."

He chuckled. "You don't fuck around when that happens."

"Neither do you."

"You're the one that climbed over Pierce last year to get some of this." Johnny leaned closer, guided by her small tug. "They were still counting down."

"We were talking. It was some damn good conversation before everyone started yelling," she said, pouting. "But the chief over here was occupied, and I had to act fast. Maybe I should've just kissed Pierce instead. Saved myself the trouble."

Johnny narrowed his eyes over the tops of his shades. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he's fucking fantastic too. Would've put me in a dip and everything." Troy cleared his throat, but V didn't break the stare Gat had her in. "I can already think of at least five people that could give me reliable testimonials."

"And that's enough shit to build your guess off of? Motherfucking _testimonials_?"

"Word of mouth's a powerful thing, though if you want to go and find out for me firsthand, I'd be down for that-"

The sharp whistle cut off the rest of her sentence, and both of their eyes snapped towards Troy. "Look, we're ten minutes out, and you're not arguing over it, or booking it out of here to find Pierce. Neither of you," he ordered. "Christ. Just cool it."

He sat down next to Johnny, and ignored her pout completely. Gat, however, gave her a heated look until she dropped his tie. The moment it hit his chest, he sat back and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"Okay, no arguing or kissing Pierce. Cool," she huffed, making it a point to avoid looking at either of them. "A missed opportunity, but I can deal with that. But we do need to talk this over." Both of them angled their heads towards her, and she crossed her arms. "You know. The whole romantic kiss at midnight thing, because this isn't going to be the year that I headbutt one of you again when I dive for it. Not happening."

Troy's fingers went to the bridge of his nose, and he tried not to wince. "That's a fucking relief."

"Hey, you dove too, though I wasn't aiming to break your nose that night – which I didn't!" V said, recalling how fast she'd sobered up at the sight of blood on Troy's face. "But to avoid that this time, I think we need to establish some ground rules. Steps that'll be taken to avoid anything like that again. First off, we're doing this at midnight. No sooner, or later." She ticked off a second finger. "Second, we've all gotta get a kiss circle going or something, because if we want to pull this off at the same time, we've gotta time it right."

Johnny snorted, and Troy looked between the two of them, before settling his gaze on V. "Because that's the thing to work on."

"You're not weaseling out of this."

"I'm not trying to. Just-" Troy sighed, and rested his chin in his hand. "All three of us are going to coordinate this."

"Yes."

"And we're going to all-"

"Kiss the hell out of each other, yes. You-" she pointed at Troy, "and you-" then at Johnny, "and me. Are going to do this. With minimal fumbling, and lots of gusto." Going back to her glass, she tipped it back and pouted. "Where'd the rest of that bottle go?"

Johnny offered it to her, but this time Troy's eyebrows went up.

"Um." She put the glass down and slid it towards him. "So, yeah. No fumbling. Guess that's number three. Uh, four's..." She snapped her fingers, but couldn't get her brain in gear. "Four's coming to me. Slowly, but surely."

"Yeah, take your time. Not like we're waiting for something." V elbowed Johnny, and he took another swig from the bottle. "You're the one chewing it up."

"And you're eating up even more by poking at me."

"The fuck do we even need four things to do for? We just hear the bell, siren, whatever, lean in, and get this shit done," Johnny said, gesturing towards her. "The hell do we even need any of this for? It's fucking kissing, V."

"And even then, I could still find a way to mess it up. Bear with me here. It's planning, and I seriously don't need to send anyone to the hospital again, because my depth perception's gone to shit-"

Loud cheers came from the hall, and rose in volume. The words weren't clear, but right now they didn't have to be.

She scrambled to dig her phone out. "Fuck, is it time?"

Troy's eyes went to his watch, but Johnny didn't wait for confirmation, and certainly didn't follow their plan.

She yelped when he pulled her out of her seat and onto his lap, grinning wide before planting a kiss on her. Already on a giddy high from the party, and the champagne, she melted into it, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He was all warm heat, making her want to touch as much of him as possible, and didn't think anything of the way her hands were roaming, or how her dress was gathering around her thighs. Not until his palms moved up her legs, with the promise of rising even higher.

When they came up for air, however, she groped for the only one missing from their pile. It took a few tries, but she caught Troy's sleeve and tugged. He leaned in, and her first kiss was far from on target, landing on his chin. That made the corner of his mouth curve up, but the second drew a low sound from him that made her nails dig into Johnny's suit coat – feeding a thrill that only grew the minute she felt another set of lips tease at her throat.

It wasn't easy, but she broke away from Troy to give Gat another kiss, and when Gat pulled Troy into one right after, V knew they wouldn't be able to stay in this spot much longer. Not with the way things were proceeding. She sighed against Johnny's neck, sucking lightly on the ink curving over it, while following the slow motion of his hips beneath her. Moving in time, she kept her eyes on them as Troy slipped his hand into Gat's hair, and when their kiss went deep, Johnny's fingers dug into her lower back.

"You know, I'm willing to call this a success," she said, moving her hands to the buttons on Johnny's shirt. She nipped at his earlobe, and loved the sound that earned. "It's past midnight, and it's hardly at the same time, but I can deal. How about you two?"

"Didn't bust anything this year. You or him." Troy rolled his eyes, and Johnny ran a thumb over Troy's chin before giving him another peck. "No mess, no problem."

"So, how about we skip right to the next part?" Gat turned towards her, and she traced his bottom lip with her fingers. "Move to a surface where we can do this properly?"

"This works." The roll of his hips made her teeth go into her lip, and he searched for the zipper on her back. "You know it does."

Troy got up, and his hands went to the back of her dress as well. Brushing her hair to the side, his hands skimmed her shoulder blades, followed by his mouth, sending a shiver right through her. "And if we manage to fuck it up somehow, the desk's close."

Johnny bunched her dress up, and once she felt the zipper drop, both of them tugged it up and over her head. "See?" he murmured between kisses to her neck. "Now that's planning."


End file.
